Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries arrested on sex trafficking charges

Mike Jeffries, the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, his romantic partner and a third man were arrested Tuesday on charges of luring men into sex parties held around the world, sometimes by dangling the promise of modeling for the clothing retailer.

Citing an indictment unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn, the Associated Press reported that Jeffries, partner Matthew Smith and their employee James Jacobson ran an international sex trafficking and prostitution business from 2008 to 2015, using Jeffries’ status, wealth and a web of household staffers to fulfill the couple's sexual desires and keep it all secret.

Jeffries and Smith were arrested in Florida and were due to make an initial court appearance Tuesday afternoon in West Palm Beach. Jacobson was arrested in Wisconsin and due in court in St. Paul, Minnesota.

According to the AP, the charges follow sexual misconduct allegations, made in lawsuits and by the media, from young people who said Jeffries promised modeling work and then pressed them into sex acts.

Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson are charged with sex trafficking and interstate prostitution involving 15 unnamed accusers.

"To anyone who thinks they can exploit and coerce others by using the so-called casting couch system, this case should serve as a warning – prepare to trade that couch for a bed in federal prison," Brooklyn-based U.S. attorney Breon Peace said at a news conference.

Peace concluded, "Sexually exploiting vulnerable human beings is a crime. And doing so by dangling dreams of a future in fashion and modeling is no different."

FILE - Mike Jeffries, the former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO, is pictured in a file image. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/FilmMagic for Paul Wilmot Communications)

Peace and FBI and police officials were set to hold a news conference Tuesday afternoon.

According to the indictment, they paid for dozens of men to travel within the U.S. and internationally to engage in paid sex with them and other men in New York and at hotels in England, France, Italy, Morocco and St. Barts. 

The AP noted that the indictment describes sexual events in which the recruited men were given drugs, lubricant, condoms, costumes, sex toys and, sometimes, erection-inducing penile injections that caused painful, hourslong reactions.

The men weren't informed of all that the events would involve, including some of the sexual practices they'd be expected to engage in, and they were required to give up their clothes and cell phones during the gatherings and sign non-disclosure agreements afterward, per the indictment.

According to the AP, the defendants led the men to believe that attending the events would help their careers, including their chances of getting Abercrombie modeling gigs — or that not complying could harm their prospects.

Jeffries and Smith employed Jacobson to recruit and hire the men, who typically had to undergo "tryouts" by having sex with Jacobson first.

The indictment stated that other, unnamed household staffers also helped facilitate the events, including by acting as security and providing alcohol, muscle relaxants, Viagra and other items.

Abercrombie last year said it had hired an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation after a report on similar allegations was aired by the BBC.

A BBC investigation included a dozen men who described being at events involving sex acts they said were staged by Jeffries and Smith, often at his home in New York and hotels in London, Paris and elsewhere.

The AP noted that the BBC report also described Jacobson as a middleman who recruited men for the events. He told the news outlet at the time that he hadn't engaged in and didn't know of "any coercive, deceptive or forceful behavior."

A lawsuit filed in New York in 2023 accused Abercrombie & Fitch of letting Jeffries run a sex-trafficking organization during his 22 years with the company. Citing the lawsuit, the AP reported that Jeffries had modeling scouts scouring the internet for victims, and that some prospective models became sex-trafficking victims.